1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultraminiature camera and a lens barrel thereof and more particularly relates to a lens shutter camera with range finding sections and a light measuring section and a lens barrel suitable therefor.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 8 is a front view of a conventional lens shutter camera. A containing section 16d as a space for containing a flexible plate 17 is provided on the upper side of a lens barrel approximately correspondingly to an optical axis 20. Also, an AF light emitting section 16b and an AF light receiving section 16c for measuring a distance to an object are disposed so as to interpose the containing section 16d between them. Further, an AE optical section 16a for photometry, a finder section 21 for observing an object field and a flashlight emitting section 22 for emitting flashlight are arranged next to (right side in the drawing) the AF light receiving section 16c.
Thus, in the conventional camera, the AF light emitting and receiving sections 16b, 16c, the AE optical section 16a, the finder section 21 and the flashlight emitting section 22 are arranged laterally in a line, so that the breadth S2 of the camera is approximately determined due to the dimensions of these components.
But, in order to miniaturize the camera, the areas other than the containing section 16d between the AF light emitting and receiving sections 16b, 16c have been so far reduced in breadth.
However, in this case, when the base length between the AF light emitting and receiving sections 16b, 16c (the distance between them) is shortened, range finding ability of the AF light emitting and receiving sections 16b, 16c is lowered.
Also, there is a known lens shutter camera having a lens barrel with a zooming function in which a shutter unit is provided on the side of a movable cylinder of the lens barrel; its control section is provided on the side of a stationary cylinder thereof; and the shutter unit and the control section are connected by a FPC (flexible printed circuit). As the movable cylinder of the lens barrel is shifted in the optical axis direction in a zooming operation, the length of the FPC is set such that the shutter unit and the control section will not be pulled by the FPC when the shutter unit is located farthest away from the control section (telescopic end condition). Then, when the movable cylinder is located on the wide-angle side, the FPC slackens. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a space for containing the slackened FPC.
However, the provision of such space causes the size of the camera and the lens barrel to be enlarged, making it impossible to miniaturize the camera. That can be said still more in collapsible mount type cameras and cameras in which the distance between the telescopic end and the wide-angle end is large, as the moving distance of the movable cylinder in the optical axis direction is long. Further, if the slackened FPC is not contained in the space properly, an excessive load is applied to the FPC.